With the recent decision by the secretary of state of Maine to bar former President Donald Trump from the ballot based upon the contention that his words and actions violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, the Constitution is being tested in ways unprecedented since the Civil War. This decision follows a Colorado Supreme Court decision barring Trump from that state’s ballot.

In a CNN interview, former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr’s argument was highly flawed. Barr argued that a state barring Trump from a ballot could be conceived as procedurally inappropriate because he has due-process rights to a fair and impartial hearing. Putting aside the fact that the storming of the Capitol and the words used for hours prior to walking down Pennsylvania Avenue were televised for all to see, the argument rings hollow. Due-process rights revolve around individual rights to life, liberty and property. Nobody has a due-process right to run for office in any jurisdiction.

The U.S. Supreme Court has an obligation to rule on these issues based on a strict interpretation of the Constitution’s language. There should be no room to misinterpret the language, and if the justices believe the former president did not engage in unlawful behavior, they should have the courage to explain the facts as they see them. One can only hope that the rule of law is paramount.

Ari Steinfeld, retired